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Prospect Stroman's start pushed back to Tuesday

3/7/14: Marcus Stroman strikes out one and gives up three runs through three innings of relief against the Rays

By Gregor Chisholm
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MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Right-hander Marcus Stroman's next start with Triple-A Buffalo has been pushed back to Tuesday night.

Stroman was scheduled to pitch Saturday night, but his outing was postponed because of rain. The timing of his next outing is particularly interesting because it lines up perfectly with Dustin McGowan's scheduled start in Kansas City.

The news of Stroman's rescheduled outing was first reported by Sportsnet and has since been confirmed by MLB.com. He will take the mound against Louisville in a 6:05 p.m. ET start in Buffalo.

McGowan is scheduled to make at least one more outing, but the Blue Jays are monitoring him closely. The veteran right-hander transitioned to a starting role in the spring, but recently admitted he has been getting fatigued around the 60-pitch mark.

A strong outing vs. the Royals would likely guarantee McGowan another start, but if he struggles his spot in the rotation would appear to be in jeopardy. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said earlier this week that "I've always been a big fan of him in the bullpen" and that could be McGowan's future role unless he finds a way to pitch deeper into games.

Stroman has gotten off to a fast start in Buffalo. He is 1-2 with an impressive 2.18 ERA while striking out 26 over 20 2/3 innings. Stroman competed for a spot in the rotation this spring, but the Blue Jays wanted to give him a little bit more time in the Minor Leagues.

McGowan has a 6.88 ERA in four starts. He has pitched more than four innings in just one outing and has experienced a lot of difficulty throwing his curveball after not needing it last year while working in relief.